Biography
Son of John Exley and Elizabeth Tonge. Married Sybil Oates and founded the Liversedge Hall line of the Exley family. Victor identified this as one of only two lines he could positively connect to Exley Hall, Southowram. The other was the Rawdon line (from which both Victor and the NZ family descend).
The full article’s TABLE 3 shows the split: John (m. Eliz. Tonge) had Robert (m. Mary Lister, 1588) who led to the Rawdon line, and Francis (m. Sybil Oates) who led to the Liversedge line.
Note: Victor descends through the Rawdon line, not the Liversedge line. He states in his Sept/Oct 1990 letter: “The Rawdon line from which Lionel & I are both descended.”
Evidence
- “John & Eliz.’s other son Francis married Sybil Oates & they started the Liversedge line” (Victor Exley Letter Sept-Oct 1990)
- TABLE 3 in Victor Exley Article Full PDF: shows Francis (m. Sybil Oates) as second son of John (m. Eliz. Tonge), founding the Liversedge/Victor’s line [note: “Victor’s line” label on TABLE 3 refers to the branch Victor researched, not his personal descent]
NZ Pedigree
The NZ pedigree does not show a “Francis m. Sybil Oates” as a child of John (m. Eliz. Tonge). Instead, it shows James (1540-92) m. Sebell Oates (d. 1599) as a child of Francis de Southowram (d. 1572), in a separate branch from John de S. The name “Sebell Oates” closely matches “Sybil Oates” and these may refer to the same person, with confusion between the names James and Francis. See Pedigree Connections.